Does running make you a Buddhist ?

You may be reading this blog and thinking that I haven't done any running at all. I hardly mention it.

Running, in itself, is a bit dull. I don't mean that in a bad way, but it won't make for very good copy as a blog if I describe every run.

But I noticed something the other day as I was running. It was a beautiful, crisp, winter morning. The sun was blazing down and I was running along a road with a superb view up into the Chiltern Hills.

It was a morning which grabs you, shakes you, and tells you how lucky you are to be alive.

After about 30 minutes jogging I realised that I had spent the time jogging and thinking about nothing.

Nothing at all.

I had cleared my mind completely and just jogged.

I forgot about everything for 30 minutes.

I used to work with a guy who claimed to be a Buddhist. He talked a great deal about meditation and achieving a zen-state by trying to clear your mind of all thoughts.

I think I did that jogging the other morning. I was obviously in state of Zen.

What an interesting thought - I shall ask other joggers whether this is normal for them too.

I saw one woman jogging along the embankment the other day with a cigarette. I probably won't ask her about Zen.

Perhaps I am on the first stage to enlightenment and Nirvana.

Perhaps I can master levitation next ?

If I can, it will make the marathon an awful lot easier.